Nvidia’s (NVDA) CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is on stage for the company’s press day event here at the Consumer Electronics Show. Huang is talking about how Google’s (GOOG) latest release of its Android operating system is unifying all the gadgets out there — finally.
“We expect this to be a big shift in how people think of Android devices,” said Huang. He notes there are 250 million Android devices in use, growing by 750,000 activations a day.
Huang demoed Asus’s “Transformer” tablet/laptop, which shipped in November of last year and which was the first device to come out using the latest Nvidia “Tegra” processor, “Tegra 3.”
The Transformer is playing the “Tintin” movie. Then he moves to showing off a photo app called “Snapseed.” It’s the most popular iPad app, says Huang, and Nvidia has helped the company move the program over to Android.
He brings up the program’s developer onto the stage to demonstrate how to apply filters and effects to pictures. Pretty neat app, works strictly by dragging a finger across the screen to change parameters of the effects. Like using Adobe Photoshop from your couch, he says.
Snapseed is among a number of programs offered through Nvidia’s “Tegra Zone,” a Web site that highlights programs exploring the graphics technology. He shows off a nice demo of the water racing game “Riptide.”
Huang shows off another popular iPad app running on Android, “Splashtop,” a remote session controller/emulator for Windows PCs. The problem, says, Huang, is losing fidelity when working remotely. Tegra solved such performance problems, says Huang. He shows off tapping into the iTunes library on the remote PC. Pretty smooth scrolling as he steps through “Cover Flow” of the various albums.
Huang invites famed gamer Jonathan Wendell to the stage to play a round of “Skyrim” through the remote Splashtop session. Pretty amazing rendering of the graphics as Wendell battles the dragon.
Huang says that Nvidia has worked with Asustek to bring Google’s “Ice Cream Sandwich,” the latest version of Android, to the Transformer, which is available starting today.
Asus CEO Jerry Shen comes to the stage. Huang is lauding all Shen’s achievements, such as inventing the Netbook.
Huang asks Shen how to bring tablets to the budget price point.
Shen whips out a 7-inch tablet computer running Tegra 3 and Ice Cream Sandwich. Shen says the device will retail for just $249. Very loud applause from the audience for that.
Huang wants to talk about one more thing before leaving Android: Touch. The Tegra 3 will integrate the functions that had been the province of a standalone touch controller IC. It’s called “DirectTouch.”
Huang is moving on now to talk about using Tegra 3 for Windows.�
He brings up Microsoft (MSFT) Windows exec Aidan Marcuss. Marcuss notes that Tegra 3′s low-power mode facilitates the hibernate mode of Windows 8.�
Huang shifts to talk about cars using Tegra, including Tesla models, Lamborghini, and Audi. He teases the audience: “In a couple of days, we’re going to have something really special to announce with Audi.”
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